[schzoidphrenia]

Hello. This is my first post here so I am just a little nervous...

I am 15 years old just about to turn 16 in February. I've had a body odor problem since I was 11. It started out as a faint smell in the groin area that no one commented about but since then my problem has just exploded. Its gotten progressivley worse over the years. I've been to a gynocologist and just recently to a dermatologist but there was nothing they could do for me. My reagular doctor diagnoised me with hyperhidrosis and perscribed for me a liquid to put where it sweats but it burns the crap out of me and does nothing to stop the sweating in my upper thighs/groin area. I have no other known health problems except for anxiety issues and my last urine and blood test was just this past August. The doctors however did take note of the dark patches of skin spanning my inner thighs and under one breast.

Nothing I do seems to prevent my own stench, not showering in the morning, bathing in the evening, washing my clothes nearly every day in vinnegar and borax, bringing a change of clothes to school, using anti bacterial wipes between classes, drinking tomato juice, taking chlorophyll tablets, drinking 6 glasses of water a day or exersising. I can't wear talc or any thing like that on my skin because then I reak of that ontop of my own smell. all the others alleviate my problem a little but still...

When I come out the shower I smell faintly, I smell very bad by third hour, people talk about me horribly because they can smell me from five feet away so you can imagine just how strong I get by sixth hour! I have stomach problems so when those occur I get a smell like burnt popcorn or something is burning in general. I even smelt of marijuana a couple of times. I don't know if the stomach problems are related because they began late last school year seperate from my body odor by 3 years.

Aside From that People tell me and I notice at one time or another I have smelt of or in combination of: a wet dog, cooked fish, feet, cornchips, onions, chlorine, (rarely) freshly cut grass, (rarely)rotting fruit on a hot summer day, bananas, (once) Strong wheat, popcorn, faint fried food smell (even though I barely eat fried food), apples and people's biggest complaint of me yet, of butt and rancid butter which I smell of daily. It is a very sweet and very rancid smell that can carry many feet away, I am so tired of people saying I smell like ass. I also notice that i can sometimes smell what I eat on me. I honestly don't know how many times that happens as I don't quite notice but I've smelt pizza, chicken, maple drops, noodles etc. Very Frustrating and I've no idea what causes it.

If anyone could suggest potential causes/problems or just offer general support it would be beautiful. thank you so much for an oppurtunity to post in a community like this.

[Nata_80]

Hi there,

I´m terribly sorry you are suffering from this.

Your symptoms are very familiar to lot of us so you are not the only one in this fight

If I were you I would do the TMAU test. I wouldn´t spend any more time or money in other doctors until verifying that the test is negative.

All the best

[superbenx2000]

I have had similar odors that you have described. Avoiding anything with a fragrance has eliminated my problem for the most part. These days, I really don't reek at all, and I never get any comments anymore. I was single for the last six years, but then I finally met an awesome girl recently. Just because you may have body odor right now does not mean you cannot get rid of it. Too much chocolate seems to set me off, so I try not to eat too much of it. You just have to find the foods and chemicals (such as fragrances) that set you off. Only by avoiding those things will you improve. Good luck!

Ben

[scientist42]

Schzoidphrenia,
Sorry you are going through this problem too. I think keeping a food diary may help because there is no doubt that there are certain trigger foods that make our conditions temporarily hugely worse. This may not help with the base-line odour but at least it's a big step in the right direction.

I have a fairly large area of dark patch on the skin on my back. It looks weird but doesn't otherwise cause me any problem.
Arun

[nycegirlx]

Hi schzoidphrenia,

I can identify with a lot of your symptoms. I am certain your odor and digestive problems are related. Get tested for TMAU if you can but you could also have a hormone disorder like late-onset congenital adrenal hyperplasia, polycystic ovary syndrome, yeast/fungus overgrowth or a problem with "leaky gas." I am looking more into these conditions myself. Do you have a family history of diabetes? People with insulin resistance can have dark patches on their skin. Have you gained or lost weight since your odor problem started? I think you could have a hormone disorder since your odor problem started around puberty, just as it did for me and many others here. The anxiety and hyperhidrosis are probably related. When my hormone disorder acts up, my periods stop or are irregular, I get high blood pressure and increased sweating and feeling jittery, like I am on caffeine. I also am unable to sleep as well as at other times. Just google "hormone disorders" and "hyperhidrosis" and "anxiety." I am sure you will find useful information. I sure did. I recommend that you do this research and then make an appointment to see a quality endocrinologist and have a thorough evaluation of you hormones (not just the basic TSH test). You could have excess male hormones. They seem to be related to bad smells in general and in females in particular. Normally, women are not supposed to have too much male hormones. If you do, it causes a vast array of symptoms, ranging from excess hair to mood and digestive problems. Odor is just one symptom among many for you, me and others. You have to look at the whole picture before you can get an accurate diagnosis. Good luck. Keep me posted.

I wanted to add that you also most likely have liver and gallbladder problems. That may be in part responsible for your "rancid butter" smell. Are your stools ever light yellowish? Do they float in the toilet or are they loosely formed? Maybe you have constipation at other times?

Try milkweed thistle and let me know if it helps. Also, avoiding oily and fatty foods might help a little. You can try the underwear charcoal filter pads sold at www.flat-d.com or you can buy some cheap shoe odor absorber inserts or you can try the plastic underwear I wrote about in another post. Also, you can use PureAyre as a spray and reduce the odors in the air around you for up to 30 minutes at a time. You can buy this at Petco. You have to buy a small spray bottle and put some of the solution and mix it with water. Keep the spray with you and after you have been in a room or location for 5-10 minutes, spray it.

[looking4answers]

Someone posted something about a year ago about dark patches on your skin and odor conditions and even provided a link to go read about the condition. It was interesting. But if my memory serves me correctly there were a few people that had dark patches on their skin in our group.
Do you guys remember that?

[schzoidphrenia]

Hello Everyone! I would like to say first of all thank you for posting makes me feel good. Now that I finally turn 16 tomorrow (Feb 4) I can finally schedule an appointment with an endrochrinologist so that will be great. I'm just right now trying to hone in on things to discuss with the doctor.

As far as some of the questions that came up in the replies:
My dad and paternal grandma have diabetes. My stools aren't miss colored, they don't float and they generally aren't losely formed unless I am at school in which then it only happens sometimes. I get a serious gas build up and gurgly noises which always come from the top left of my abdomen I'm not 100% sure on if it always happens when I need to have a bowel movement but I think it happens other times too. I do have A LOT of body hair, all up and down my back, butt, stomach and some peach fuzz on my face but for the most part its fine hair unlike the typical hair males grow.

Question: I've been eating less potatoes, chicken, noodles and pancakes lately which I know give people bad smells and all that because of the choline content in some of them but I'm wondering if the amount of carbohydrates I consume is related to how strong my smell of urine and burning diesel fuel gets.

In regards to NyceGirlx's suggestion to try milkweed thistle, I have been on it for a week. I'm pretty sure I need to be on it a little longer to draw any conclusions but my smell, its a tiny bit better I am not sure if its because of my better mood lately or my diet or if the amount of smell that stays in my clothes as decreased a little but I've been doing a touch better lately.

Thank you everyone so much!